Cycling mechanism for sprinkler system controllers



p 14, 1955 R. M. ALSTON ETAL 3,205,717

CYCLING MECHANISM FOR SPRINKLER SYSTEM CONTROLLERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed July 22, 1963 SELECTOR SWlTCHES SOLENOH'.) /56 VALVE STATIONTIMING POTENTIOMETER MASTER PDT.

N m 5 Rpm Y 5km E mm W M W l Z fwd wL u Y R B Sept- 14, 1 R. M. ALSTONETAL CYCLING MECHANISM FOR SPRINKLER SYSTEM CONTROLLERS Filed. July 22,1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E75 55,41 m4; sro/v 64/24 /Z. 9/7 42 P INVENTORS A770,6 /VE V5 United States Patent 3,205,717 CYCLING NIECHANISM FORSPRINKLER SYSTEM CONTROLLERS Russell M. Alston, West Covina, and Carl R.Sharp, Glendora, Calif assignors to Rain Bird Sprinkler ManufacturingCorp., Glendora, Calif., a corporation of California Filed July 22,1963, Ser. No. 296,610 1 Claim. (Cl. 74-352) This invention relates tocycling mechanisms for sprinkler system controllers. It is desirable, inthe operation of multiple station sprinkler systems, that the period ofoperation of each station be adjustable without altering the adjustmentsof the other stations, and that the controller transfer quickly fromstat-ion-to-station.

One of the systems conventionally used involves a motor-driven stationselector, a set of individually adjustable timing potentiometers, onefor each station, a motor-driven master potentiometer, and an electricalnetwork for producing a signal when the potentials across the selectedtiming potentiometer and the master potentiometer are matched. Thissignal is utilized to advance the station selector to the succeedingstation. At this time it is essential to reset the master potentiometer.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a cycling mechanismincluding a motor-driven station selector, a novel motor drive for themaster potentiometer which is capable of being reset, and a tripmechanism operated by the station selector for resetting the masterpotentiometer.

A further object of this invention is to provide a nove gear assemblywhich, when a particular gear of the assembly is restrained fromrotation, the motor drive functions to advance the master potentiometer,and, when the gear is released, the master potentiometer is caused toreset.

With the above and other objects in view, as may ap pear hereinafter,reference is directed to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, front view of the cycling mechanism forsprinkler system controllers, and indicating diagrammatically therelationship of the sprinkler stations and timing Potentiometers to theselector switches;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse, sectional view thereof taken substantiallythrough 22 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional view thereof takensubstantially through 3-3 of FIG- URE 4;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary, bottom view thereof with the cover plateremoved;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken substantiallyalong the plane 55 of FIGURE 7, showing the gear mechanism in theinitial or starting position;

FIGURE 6 is a similar fragmentary view but with portions shown inelevation, and showing the gear mechanism in an advanced positionimmediately before return to its starting position;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken substantially through 77of FIGURE 5, showing the various axes of the gear mechanism in a commonplane to facilitate the illustration.

The cycling mechanism for sprinkler system controllers is containedwithin and mounted upon a chassis structure 1 in the form of arectangle; open at its underside and provided with a removable cover 2.

Mounted on top of the chassis 1 is a gear motor 3 hav ing a low speedshaft 4. The end of the shaft 4, outward-ly from the chassis 1, isemployed to drive sets of selector switches 5. The other end of theshaft 4 extends into the chassis 1 and receives a station selector wheel6.

The selector wheel 6 is relatively large, and is provided with a ring oflo'bes 7 defining depressions 8 therebetween, so that the lobes 7 anddepressions 8 form a ring of cam elements. In the constructionillustrated, twelve depressions are formed, eleven of which correspondto eleven stations of the sprinkler system associated with thecontroller and one serving as an off station.

The selector wheel 6 projects laterally from the chassis 1 through anaperture 9, and is provided with a knurled rim 10, so that it may berotated manually if desired. At an appropriate location, the upper sideof the wheel 6 is provided with a rib 11, which engages contacts 12which are opened when the wheel 6 is in its off position.

Within the chassis 1 the wheel 6 is engaged by a cam roller 13 mountedon a spring arm 14, which in turn is supported by a bracket 15. Thespring arm 14 is caused to reciprocate as the cam roller passes from onedepression 8 to another over an intervening lobe. This movement isutilized to operate a switch 16, and is also to operate a resettingmechanism to be described hereinafter.

Mounted at one side of the gear motor 3 is a master potentiometer 17having a shaft 18 which projects into the chassis 1. Within the chassis1 the shaft 18 journals a transfer gear 19, which is connected throughan idler gear 20 mounted on a shaft 21 to a pinion gear 22. The piniongear 22 is driven by a gear motor 23. Also mounted on the shaft 18 is asun gear 24 having an integral pinion 25.

Secured to the lower extremity of the shaft 21 is an arm 26, at theextremity of which is secured a planetary gear shaft 27 which carries aplanetary gear 28 adapted to mesh with the pinion gear 25, and anintegral pinion gear 29 which meshes with the transfer gear 19.

Pivotally mounted on a shaft 3% secured to the chassis 1 is a clutchlever 31 having at one extremity c utch teeth 32 engageable with the sungear 24. The opposite extremity of the clutch lever 31 is positioned forengagement by the spring arm 14.

A return spring 33 is provided, which is in the form of a spiral spring,one end of which is attached to the shaft 18 and the other end of whichis anchored to the chassis 1. The spring 33 exerts a biasing force,tending to rotate the arm 26 in a clockwise direction as viewed inFIGURE 4, until limited by a stop screw 34 carried 'by a bracket 35secured to the chassis 1.

Operation of the cycling mechanism for sprinkler system controllers isas follows:

When the selector wheel 6 is in the off position shown in FIGURES 1 and4, the gear mechanism is positioned as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5; and inparticular the arm 26 is in engagement with the stop screw 34,

When the gear motor 3 is activated to rotate the selector wheel 6counterclockwise, as indicated in FIGURE 4, to the first station, thegear mechanism remains dormant until the first station is reached. Thismay be accomplished electrically by the contacts 12 in association withone or more switches 36, operated by movement of the spring arm 14 orclutch lever 31, or by appropriate connections to the selector switches5.

When the cam roller 13 is opposite the first station, the gear motor 23is energized which drives the transfer gear 19 by means of the piniongear 22 and idler gear 29. The rotation of the transfer gear 19 rotatesthe planetary gear 28 and its pinion gear 29 on the shaft 27.

The sun gear 24 is restrained against rotation by means of the clutchteeth 32 on the clutch lever 31. As a consequence, the planetary gear 28moves in an are about the sun gear 24, carrying the arm 26 in acounterclockwise direction. In doing so, the shaft 18 is rotated so asto increase or decrease, as the case may be, the potential across themaster potentiometer 17.

An electric circuit, which does not form a .part of the presentinvention, involves a series of station-timing potentiometers 37, onecorresponding to each sprinkler station, involving one or more solenoidvalves 38 and sprinklers 39. These potentiometers are adjustable tovarious values. A matching circuit is provided which produces a signalwhen the potential across the master potentiometer 17 and the selectedstation potentiometer are equal. This signal is utilized to terminatethe dwell at the selected station. During the dwell at any selectedstation, a corresponding section of the sprinkler system is caused tofunction.

At the end of the dwell period, the gear motor 3 is energiZcd to advancethe selector wheel 6 to the next station. In doing so, the clutch lever31 is mechanically moved to release the sun gear 24 and allow the springto return the arm 26 to its original position; and in doing so to returnthe master potentiometer 17 to its original position.

When the selector wheel 6 is moved to the succeeding station, the gearmotor 23 is again energized to again advance the master potentiometer17.v The rate of advance is such that appropriate dwell periods may beestablished. These may vary from a period of a few minutes to half anhour or so, depending upon the requirements of the region to besprinkled.

While a particular embodiment of this invention has been shown anddescribed, it is not intended to limit the same to the exact details ofthe construction set forth, and it embraces such changes, modifications,and equivalents of the parts and their formation and arrangement as comewithin the purview of the appended claim,

What is claimed is:

A cycling mechanism, comprising:

(a) a timing means having a rotatable shaft;

(b) a transfer gear journaled on said shaft;

(0) a timing drive for said transfer gear;

(d) a clutch gear and an integral coaxial pinion gear also journaled onsaid shaft;

(e) a drive arm secured to said shaft;

(f) a planetary main gear engageable with said pinion gear, and anintegral coaxial planetary pinion gear engageable with said transfergear journaled at the extremity of said drive arm;

(g) a selector wheel having a ring of cam lobes;

(h) a clutch lever interposed between said selector wheel and saidclutch gear, and normally engageable with said clutch gear to restrainsaid clutch gear against rotation, thereby to cause said timing drive toact through said transfer gear, planetary gears, and drive arm to rotatesaid timing means, said clutch lever being actuated -by said lobes onmovement of said selector wheel between stations to release said clutchgear;

(i) and biasing means for urging returnof said timing means tov aninitial position on release of said clutch gear.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,875,428 11/62Roberts 23970 3,063,643 11/62 Roberts 239-70 3,118,606 1/64 Rotunda23963 EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner.

